Pages

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The language of tango

When teaching tango, studying tango or just talking about
tango, we compare the dance to many things: driving, sports, architecture,
relationships – but my favourite tango analogies compare tango to language. I
didn’t invent the tango-language comparison, but I use it often and I feel it
is the most true.

First, tango is inarguably a form of communication. It is a
non-verbal conversation between two people. The leader initiates the
conversation, the follower responds and the leader responds to her response. As
in verbal exchanges, the best communicators are excellent listeners. It is such
a pleasure to lead dancers who wait for the lead, who respond to subtle
movements and who take the time and initiative to express themselves. Meanwhile,
leaders who give that time to their partners, who leave them space for
self-expression and who wait for them to complete a movement before suggesting
the next one are a joy to dance with.

Also, as in verbal communication, interrupting is impolite. For
leaders this would be the equivalent of not letting the follower complete one
movement before leading the next. For followers it means anticipating what
comes next and not waiting for the lead. If I interrupt you when you are
talking to me, I am basically telling you that what you were saying either
didn’t interest me or was at least less interesting that what I have to say. It
is the same on the dancefloor.

The beauty of humanity is that we are all different, and
therefore we all express ourselves differently. So no two conversations are
alike. In the context of tango it is important not just to understand this, but
also to respect it. Every follower will respond differently to a lead, and
every leader will respond differently to the follower’s response. And so the
conversation evolves.

Of course, a dancer’s skill level has a lot to do with the
extent to which he or she is able to express him or herself. Which takes me to
the second way tango is like language: the learning process. You need to learn
the alphabet before you can write poetry – in English, French, Spanish or
tango. When we teach or learn the dance, we generally start with a few simple
phrases – a box step, an eight-count basic, forward and backward ochos within a
simple structure – but ultimately dancers need to go beyond the ready-made
sequences and learn to create their own. If not, they continue to merely mimic
their teachers or other dancers rather than learning to express themselves. At
the same time, it is really important to learn the basics correctly and not get
carried away by the fancy, impressive moves (big, impressive words). If we take
the time to learn and follow the rules first, then when it comes time to break
some of those rules and write poetry, ours will be beautiful.

For most of us, tango is not a mother tongue; it is a second language. As with any
language, when, where and how we learn tango has a lot to do with how easily we
will master it. If we want to master a new language, the best way is to immerse
ourselves in it. So being somewhere where we can speak the language on a
regular basis with a variety of people who speak it well will help immensely.
But formal study is an important component, too, so that we can understand the
rules and learn to speak correctly. So taking classes, going regularly to
practices and milongas and dancing with different partners will all contribute
to a dancer’s advancement. Heading to Buenos Aires for your immersion is the
obvious choice, but it is not necessary to go to Argentina to learn Argentine
tango, just as it is not necessary to go to Spain to learn Spanish. It is only
necessary to be somewhere where the language is spoken – or the tango is danced
– frequently and at a high level. So Montreal, Paris, Istanbul and countless
other cities around the world offer enough tango that you can learn it to the
point of mastery if you want to. But studying the history, learning about the
culture and visiting the birthplace will give you another level of
understanding and a deeper perspective.

A note to the advanced tango-speakers about how to help
newcomers who are just starting to learn our language: Leave the lessons to the
teachers and the class setting. Imagine if you were having a conversation with
someone, telling them about something really interesting that happened to you,
and that person stopped you every few words to correct your pronunciation,
suggest a different idiom, tell you a better way to phrase your thoughts.
Perhaps your partner will learn something from your instructions, but it won’t
be a very enjoyable conversation. All you need to do to help beginners move
forward is speak – I mean dance – slowly and clearly to make sure they can
understand you. They will learn from you and have fun doing it.

Often when people contact me for information about classes,
if they already dance other dances – ballroom, salsa, swing – they expect that
they won’t have to start at the beginner level, since they already know how to
dance. But again I come back to the idea that learning tango is like learning a
second language. If I already speak English and I want to learn Russian, does
that mean that I should be put in an intermediate level Russian class? Of
course not! However, if I already speak two or three languages there is a good
chance that I will pick up a fourth one more quickly than someone who has never
learned a second language before. People who dance other dances are probably
coming in with a good sense of musicality, a certain amount of body awareness
and a number of other skills that may accelerate the learning process, but they
still need to start at the beginning.

Like with languages or indeed anything else we might want to
learn, some people also just have a knack for it and will pick it up in no
time, but with hard work, study and lots and lots of practice, anyone can learn
to speak the language of tango. Some might go on to be poets in their own
right, and others will just manage to make themselves understood.

So what does it mean to master
the language of tango?

Once we have learned to walk with a partner in front of us,
we are already communicating at a basic level, but we need a certain amount of
vocabulary and a certain ease of expression to really say we dance tango.

At the same time, big, impressive words do not a great
communicator make. It’s important to use words – or moves – that our partners
can understand and follow rather than trying to impress them with vocabulary
that goes right over their heads. We may know the big words, but it’s important
to use them in the right context and with the right people.

So the list is long: excellent listening skills, a desire
and an ability to express yourself, strong basics, a thorough understanding of
the rules and also when to break them, a well-developed yet carefully chosen
vocabulary, an awareness of and respect for your partner’s abilities...
Mastering this language goes far beyond knowing its mechanics: We need to know
the rules and the structure, but also be able to express ourselves with
fluidity and eloquence; then we need to go beyond the language itselfand develop our communication skills
and our creativity.

Finally, we need to remember that no matter how well we
ourselves may speak – or think we speak – the language of tango, we too are
still learning. No one knows all the words in the dictionary, and besides,
languages evolve and so should we... which will be the topic of a future blog
post.

Receive new blog posts by email

Search This Blog

About Me

Andrea has been dancing all her life, starting with ballet from age 4, then Latin dance in her 20s, and, finally, at age 28 Argentine tango, which became her life's passion. She and her partner, Wolf, opened their own tango studio, MonTango, in 2008.
Andrea has also dabbled in writing all her life. She kept a daily diary for 20 years, wrote loads of (unpublished) poetry in her youth, published a short story or two many years ago and published a few newspaper stories during her years as a copy editor at the Montreal Gazette. She recently started blogging, which allows Andrea to live her passion for writing as well as for dance.
Enjoy!
And feel free to share your comments.